


Welcome to Dream

by pretendpuppy



Series: Dream [2]
Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25210885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretendpuppy/pseuds/pretendpuppy
Summary: Oscar, Morris, Sarah, Davey, Skittery, Race, Spot, Snitch, Dutchy, Pie Eater, and Mush aren't from New York. At least not this one. Having left, a teenage boy from Dream arrives in New York. He needs the group to come back to Dream because it's in danger. This place, however, is nothing like New York.
Relationships: Undisclosed Relationship(s)
Series: Dream [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664302
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue

His feet pounded on the cobblestone sidewalk as the sun beat down on his back. Buildings blurred past him as he ran from his home, his only refuge. He was struggling to breathe but, kept sprinting away.

His master would be furious when he found out that his tailor had gone against his orders and went to find the boss. _He’s so stressed about what’s happening. Our boss will fix him as soon as I find him and tell him what happened._ The boy was so lost in his thoughts that when he turned the corner, he didn’t see the newsboy until he ran into him.

“Hey, watch it!” The newsboy snapped. The boy had knocked all of his newspapers to the ground and the newsboy had grabbed his arms to stop him. The boy attempted to get away except that he was one of the few of his brothers that didn’t know how to fight.

“Let me go! Ise gotta find Race!” The boy managed and the newsboy looked surprised and raised an eyebrow.

“Ya knows Race?” The newsboy questioned. The boy nodded and the newsboy let him go. The boy helped the newsboy collect his newspapers and was about to leave when the newsboy’s next sentence stopped him in his tracks.

“Ise can take ya ta ‘im. Come on, Ise saw ‘im goin’ back ta da lodge earlier. Ise Snoddy by da way.” Snoddy informed the boy as they started walking. He nodded and then saw that Snoddy was staring at him.

“What?” He asked.

“What’s yer name?”

“Oh. Everyone calls me Buttons.”

“Buttons? Dat don’t make no sense.”

“Neither does Snoddy.”

“Ise likes ya, kid. Youse gots attitude.”

Buttons shared a smile with his new friend and then realized they had come to a stop in front of a building called The Newsboy Lodging House. Snoddy told him that Race was in there and Buttons, not waiting for Snoddy, ran inside, forgetting how easily tired he got.


	2. Emergency Newsie Meeting

After selling at Sheepshead, Race had said goodbye to Spot and a couple of the Brooklyn boys before heading to the Lodging House. He had passed Snoddy and checked in with Jack before reaching the lodge and paying Kloppman.

Currently, he was playing poker with Mush, Blink, and Blanket, and of course Race was winning. Suddenly, Kloppman was yelling and the door to the main room flew open and Race saw someone he thought he’d never see again.

“Race!” Buttons was about to say more when he saw the others. Race nodded to Mush, who then ushered Blink and Blanket out of the room. Race turned towards the fifteen-year-old who stood, out of breath, in the room. He was about to tell Buttons he had to leave when the tailor spoke.

“Nightmare…Open…Dream…Danger” Buttons managed in between breaths. Race squeezed his eyes shut and ran a hand through his hair just as the door opened again and Snoddy stood there.

“Dis kid was lookin’ for ya.” Snoddy informed the second.

Race scowled, “Ise can see dat Snoddy, but thanks.”

Snoddy winced while Race called for Mush. Blink and Blanket also came down the stairs and Mush went towards Race. Race ignored the other two teens and told Mush to gather an emergency newsie meeting in which Mush complied.

“What’s goin’ on?” Blink questioned with his arms folded across his chest.

“Who’s da kid?” Blanket wanted to know as he scratched his head.

“Why’s wese gotta ‘ave an emergency newsie meeting?” Snoddy asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What’s goin’ on is dat my home is in danger. Da kid is Buttons who is my brother. An’ wese gotta ‘ave an emergency newsie metting ‘cause dis is an emergency. Also, no, Buttons is not my brother by blood.” Race explained easily without giving anything away. He then made his way over to Buttons and instructed him to go upstairs and rest. Buttons opened his mouth to protest but, Race gave him a stern look to force him to go.

An emergency newsie meeting consisted of the Manhattan newsies, the Jacobses, the Conlons, and the Delanceys. The reason for the Delanceys’ involvement with emergency newsie meetings was because they technically were newsies and liked the current Manhattan newsies even though they never say so.

After ten minutes, the younger boys, Boots, Tumbler, Snipeshooter, and Patrick, arrived. They were all thoroughly confused as to what was happening. After twenty minutes, the eleven to fourteen-year-olds, Bumlets, Mike, and Ike came in. After thirty minutes, the older Manhattan newsies were in the room.

Forty minutes was how long it took for Oscar, Morris, and their younger brother Flame to get here. Fifty minutes had passed when Sarah, Davey, and Les were let out of school. Spot and his younger brother Bite took a trolley to Manhattan and entered the building after an hour.

“Racer,” Jack started, “youse better ‘ave a good reason ta be callin’ dis meetin’.”

Race glanced at Mush and the rest of the boys who would know what he was talking about. “Ise do. Dream is in danger.”

“Youse called us ‘ere ta talk ‘bout dreams?” Swifty questioned.

Race groaned, “No. Ise mean Dream. It’s in another dimension.”

“Youse jokin’ right? ‘ow many cigars ‘ave youse ‘ad taday?” Specs asked worriedly.

“He’s telling the truth. Dream is in another dimension.” Davey’s voice came from the group. Race sighed in relief that he had Davey here with him. Now everyone was staring at them in shock.

“An’ youse knows dis place exists, how?” Jake inquired after a bit of silence.

“Ise from dere. So is Davey, Sarah, Skittery, Mush, Oscar, Morris, Spot, Snitch, Dutchy, an’ Pie Eater.” Race deadpanned. Gasps were heard around the room as the others joined Race.

“All of youse ‘ave younger brothers though. ‘ow’s dat possible?” Itey wanted to know.

“Our brothers are da reasons we left. Now wese gotta go back in order ta save our home.” Race informed them patiently. There were murmurs and whispering in the room.

“Youse ain’t goin’ by yourselves. Wese goin’ with youse. All of us.” Jack said plainly. The newsies voiced their agreement and nodded their heads.

“Fine. Everyone sit in front of us. Wese gotta talk” Race decided with a sigh. He knew that everyone would want to go which is why he called an emergency newsie meeting.

“What’s our dimension called? Does it got a name?” Tumbler asked.

Race grinned, “Sure. In Dream, wese call dis dimension Reality.”


	3. Sections in Dream

Race’s eyes scanned the group of boys that sat in front of him. The others were beside him, ready to help where they were needed. Race knew they needed to explain how Dream worked and its difference from Reality.

“Before wese go, wese need ta explain ta youse da rules dat youse need ta follow. Youse also need ta know a bit ‘bout Dream. Do youse understand?” Race queried.

“Yes, Race!” Came the many voices in the room. Race nodded.

“I’ll start with explanations. Skittery goes next. Followed by Oscar, Morris, Sarah, Davey, Spot, Snitch, Dutchy, Mush, and finally Pie Eater. Got it?” The group nodded silently. “After each explanation youse will be able ta ask questions. Let’s get started.”

Race stepped forward. His eyes darted to the stairs where, in the bunkroom, Buttons was sleeping. He looked back at the newsies because it was time to talk about the Dream sections.

“Dream is divided into four sections. First is Brooklyn, da safest section in Dream. Dere is a statue in da middle of da square which represents Brooklyn’s founder, Bridge. Next is Queens, da place with da most murderers. Queens has one hotel called Obsidian Mansion Resort. Da resort is da only one in all of Dream and was named after Da Obsidian, da very first Queens gang. After dat we ‘ave Bronx, which ‘as more thieves dan dey do valuables. Bronx is known for Da Twilight Coliseum, da biggest battle arena in Dream. Finally, we ‘ave Manhattan, da most dangerous section in Dream. Da Handy Bone is da only bar in Dream and is owned by a man named Jacobi, da only person in Manhattan who can be trusted.”

Race paused and looked around the room at all the shocked faces. A hand shot up and Race called on it.

“Are dere any restaurants?” Tumbler questioned. Race gave a small smile and nodded.

“But, ta eat at one of da restaurants is risky. Da food is either poisonous or ‘as a weapon cooked into it. I wouldn’t recommend eating dere.”

Tumbler nodded sadly as Blink raised his hand. “How long does it take ta travel ta da different sections?”

“It depends on what youse take. A trolley will usually take ‘bout thirty minutes, a bike will take ‘bout an hour, an’ walking will take a whole day.”

Snipeshooter’s question was next because he was a bit confused. “How long ‘ave youse been in Dream?”

“Wese been in Dream for years as teenagers. Da reasoning for dat will come later. Wese did grow up in Dream so we’ve been dere for a while.”


	4. Time in Dream

Race stepped back and Skittery made his way to where Race had been standing. Everyone was silent as Skittery spoke about time in the dimensions.

“Time in Dream changes constantly. One day in Reality might be an hour in Dream an’ it might be a week. In Dream, wese use Time Clocks ta keep track of time in different dimensions. People in Dream also have da ability ta never age. In order ta stay da same age, dey use an Aging Locket but, dey can never wear da locket for a year in Reality. Dis is for two reasons. Firstly, Aging Lockets don’t ‘ave any effect in Reality. Secondly, Aging Lockets’ power is gone by da time a year ‘as passed in Dream.”

Bumlets raised his hand. When Skittery called on him, he looked torn. Skittery asked him what was wrong and Bumlets said he had two questions. Skittery told him to ask both.

“Race said youse ‘ad been in Dream for years as teens but, when youse first came ta Da Lodging House da olda’ boys said youse were children. How did dat work? Also, how do youse get da lockets?”

“Da lockets gave us da ability ta choose our age when wese go ta Reality. Wese chose ta be children. Also, da lockets came from York. He creates da lockets an’ da Time Clocks. Only gang members ‘ave access ta da lockets an’ only gangs ‘ave Time Clocks.”

The whole entire room stared at them in shock. They were unsure how their friends had gotten access to the lockets if they were only available to gang members.

Itey’s question was next. “If da lockets only work in Dream den where are dey while youse ‘ere?”

“York holds onto dem. When wese first enter Dream wese will enter into where York holds da lockets. York also keeps track of who enters an’ leaves Dream.”

Tumbler waved his hand in the air and Skittery chuckled as he called on his brother. “How did youse get da lockets if only gang members ‘ave access ta dem?”

Skittery glanced at Race who winced and then spoke, “Dat’s not important okay?”


	5. Dream Gangs

After Skittery was Oscar. He was going to talk about the gangs in Dream, their leaders, and the most important ones in each section.

“There are many gangs in Dream but, we will talk about the most powerful in each section. The first gang is The Anonymous from Brooklyn. Their current leader is Hotshot. Everyone in Dream has an addiction and an ability which we will talk about later. The second gang is The Disciples from Queens. Their current leader is Star. The third gang is The Wildlings from Bronx. Their current leader is Smalls. The last gang is The Untamed from Manhattan. Their current leader is Henry. Gangs are very dangerous, and you should not approach them unless told otherwise. Do you understand?”

The boys voiced their agreement. Bumlets raised his hand again and Oscar called on him. This time he only had one question. “What makes a gang powerful?”

“A gang’s power is represented by a couple of things. Firstly, the number of members that are in the gang. The more gang members they have the more jobs they can get done. Secondly, how well a gang can get a job done. If they can successfully kill someone or steal something they are known as more powerful. Finally, how popular or famous they are. A gang needs to be able to make a name for themselves with everyone and new people.”

Flame’s question was next. “What kind of jobs are there in a gang?”

“It depends on the gang. They all have a leader, second, murderer, and thief, but the more powerful ones will have more jobs. Collectors get money from families and businesses that owe the gang. Guards make sure that prisoners don’t escape and carry out any punishments. There are others but, we will talk about them when we need to.”

Oscar turned towards the group so Davey could come forward. Oscar noticed the looks on his friends faces. They missed Dream, their family, and their friends. Davey gave him an encouraging smile.


	6. Addictions and Abilities

Davey was sort of ready to talk about addictions. He knew that the boys would want to know theirs and Davey knew that Race didn’t want them knowing it just yet.

“Addictions in Dream are different than they are in Reality. Here, addiction means physically and mentally dependent on a substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects. In Dream, addiction means something you do repeatedly.”

Specs raised his hand and Davey realized what the question was. “Can youse say dat in English, please?”

“Here, addiction means that you depend on something and if you don’t do or take it bad things will happen.”

Flame’s hand shot up. Davey was pretty sure he knew what Flame was going to ask and he was right. As Flame asked his question the others snickered.

“What are your guys’ addictions?”

“That’s for us to know and for you boys to find out.”

The boys muttered to each other in disappointment as Les raised his hand. “When do youse get an addiction?”

“You usually get it when you turn thirteen but, some do get it sooner and they can also get it later. You get it when you start doing something repeatedly and then it just happens as part of your everyday life.”

Sarah chuckled as she stepped forward. She was prepared to tell about abilities and could translate it to English if she needed to.

“Just like addictions, abilities are different in Dream than they are in Reality. Here, abilities mean talent, skill, or proficiency in an area. In Dream, abilities are special things that only we can do. Some people have the same ability but, people in Reality don’t have any abilities.”

Jack raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend. “What does proficiency mean?”

“Being advanced.”

Snipeshooter and Flame whispered to each other before Snipeshooter’s hand went up. Sarah knew exactly what the question was before he asked it. Once again, the others snickered.

“What are your guys’ abilities?”

“Also for us to know and for you guys to find out.”

The boys booed as Les raised his hand again. “When do youse get an ability?”

“Also around the age of thirteen. It could also come sooner or later.”


	7. Nicknames & Fights

The boys booed as Sarah switched places with Morris. Morris cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention because they had started to talk amongst themselves.

“Everyone in Dream has a nickname dat dey are called by. Only people dat a person is close ta calls dem by deir real name. Calling dat person by deir real name is either bad or good. It depends on who is around ta hear it.”

Flame raised his hand again and Morris called on him. He looked confused and asked, “How come youse didn’t call da leader of The Untamed by his nickname?”

“Henry is a part of an immensely powerful and dangerous family. His family has never used nicknames and therefore, Henry doesn’t either.”

Blanket was the next to raise his hand and Morris hoped it wasn’t the question he had been dreading. He was proved right.

“Are dere other people who go by deir real name or is it just Henry and his family?”

“Anyone dat goes by deir real name does so because dey are already known and trusted by everyone and dey don’t have any enemies. Dere are some rare occasions however, where a rival or enemy finds out dat person’s real name and outs dem ta everyone.”

Bite’s hand shot up and Morris knew what was coming. He called on Bite, nonetheless.

“What is your nickname?”

“We’ll go over dat later.”

The boys nodded as Morris switched places with Spot. No one dared to speak, out of fear of Spot.

“De fights in Dream are very brutal and dangerous. Dey almost always end wit someone dead. If dey aren’t dead, den dey are badly injured. Some people are so injured dat dey can’t do anything else or dey die from da injuries.”

The younger boys looked terrified and the older boys looked horrified. Slowly, Boots’ hand rose, and Spot called on him.

“Have you guys ever gotten inta fights?”

“I have gotten inta multiple fights. Da others I’m not sure about. We all have gotten into at least one fight.”

The boys glanced at one another. They wondered how Davey, Sarah, Dutchy, and Mush had gotten into fights. Crutchie raised his hand next and Spot nodded to him to go ahead.

“Does everyone in Dream know how ta fight?”

“Some people, like Buttons, will refuse ta learn because of something in deir past. Others, like Pie Eater, learn how ta fight because dey keep getting inta fights for some stupid reason.”

The newsies immediately burst out laughing and Pie Eater gave the leader of Brooklyn a death glare. No one was incredibly surprised by the information because Pie Eater still did it. Bite was the last one to ask a question about fights.

“How do people heal from fights?”

“All gangs have a doctor or healer. Dese people have medical knowledge.”


	8. Thieves and Murderers

Snitch stepped forward glaring at all of them and daring them to speak.

“There are many thieves in Dream. They can pick locks and pockets. They are very experienced and dangerous. There are many punishments for them if they are caught from death to slavery. In gangs, thieves are very common and there are always at least two.”

Multiple hands shot up. Snitch had been expecting this and was prepared to answer. He decided to call on Patrick.

“Have ya ever been caught? What were yer punishments?”

“I’ve never told anyone this because I’ll get into trouble but, I have gotten caught once. The only reason no one knew was because I lied my way out of it, and they believed me.”

He turned around and some of the group rolled their eyes. Race however, hissed in his ear that they were going to “talk” after this. Snitch winced and nodded. Swifty’s hand shot up.

“Is being believed yer ability?”

Snitch stared at him and then glanced at Race who nodded. Swifty grinned proudly and the others cheered. The group chuckled and Snitch called on the twins next.

“Is stealing–”

“ –yer addiction?”

“Yes. Can youse all stop being wise guys fer ten seconds? Seriously, stop figuring out everything ‘bout me!”

The newsies all burst out laughing and Davey pointed out that Snitch’s addiction isn’t extremely hard to figure out. Dutchy then took his place at the front.

“Another thing there are multiple of are murderers. They either kill randomly and for fun, or they kill for a gang and for a very good reason. All gangs have at least one murderer to take care of ‘business’ and never get caught.”

Les slowly raised his hand, uncertain whether he wanted to ask this question. Dutchy gave him a small smile and called on him.

“Were you a murderer?”

“No. I was not a murderer.”

Multiple boys breathed out sighs of relief as Dutchy called on Snoddy next.

“What types of weapons do murderers use?”

“Murderers use anything dat dey can from guns to paper.”

The newsies ‘oohed’ and Patrick was the last person Dutchy called on for murderers.

“’ow do youse get weapons?”

“Youse get weapons by makin’ dem. Gangs always have at least one weapon maker.”


	9. Romance & Nightmare

Mush traded places with Dutchy. He was excited to talk about his topic.

“Romance in Dream works differently. Dere is no such thing as cheatin’. Meanin’, people can ‘ave more dan one lover at da same time. Da gender dat you date doesn’t matter either.”

The older boys looked hopeful. Ike’s hand shot up and Mush couldn’t help but laugh. He already knew what the question was. Everyone did.

“How many lovers did you have?”

“I had one boyfriend and I had a lot of one-night stands.”

“Did da others ‘ave boyfriends?” Boots questioned next.

“Every one of us ‘as ‘ad at least one boyfriend. Dey probably didn’t ‘ave as many one-night stands as I did dough.”

Mush then called on Itey for the current topic. “’ow come youse left yer boyfriends? Don’t youse love ‘em?”

Mush looked at Race who winced and nodded as he stepped forward. “Dey understood dat wese was jus’ tryin’ ta protect our blood related brothers. An evil gang known as Da Unknowns attempted ta kill youse younger boys. Dey threatened ta do it if wese came back later on.”

The younger newsies felt bad and because Mush didn’t really like thinking about his boyfriend, he didn’t even wait and hurried back to the group. Pie Eater took a deep breath and walked forward. He could do this.

“Da last topic we are going to cover is Nightmare. Not a bad dream but a place. Nightmare is home to da most dangerous creatures in creation. Deir former leader, Moon, was killed and Cut is deir current leader. Nightmare is a place no one ever goes. Very few people are from dere but I am.”

Terrified eyes stared at him and Pie Eater barely noticed Mike’s hand in the air.

“How did Moon die?”

“No one knows. Only one person saw it an’ she hasn’t been seen since den. Moon was a better leader dan Cut is.”

“Who saw Moon’s death?” Bumlets asked curiously.

“Moon’s sister Luna an’ after, no one ever saw her. Dey jus’ saw her messed up apartment as if someone ‘ad broken in.”

Jake raised his hand next. “Why are youse tellin’ us ‘bout Nightmare?”

Race answered this time and told everyone that the door between Nightmare and Dream had opened and that was the reason they were going back home. Pie Eater, meanwhile, turned away and hurried back to his place in the line.


	10. Rules

“Alls right everyone, next wese gonna cover some rules. After, youse all are goin’ ta bed. Wese leavin’ first thing in da mornin’ Got it?” Race asked as he stepped to the front again. The newsies voiced their agreement and Race nodded, satisfied.

“First, let us do all da talkin’. Dere are people deir dat are dangerous an’ youse gotta be careful about whatcha say. Youse can speak if wese tells ya to an’ if youse just talkin’ ta us.

“Second, don’t touch anything unless told otherwise. Some things in Dream activate alarms an’ traps so, it’s better ta be safe den sorry.

“Third, always stay with one of us. Youse don’t knows yer way around yet an’ wese don’t want youse gettin’ lost. If youse by yerself, someone might attempt kidnapping, murder, or thievery. We’ll set up a place ta meet if one of youse get lost when wese get dere.

“Fourth, always call us by our nicknames. Davey is Mouth, Sarah is Lava, Oscar is Brass, an’ Morris is Steel. Just so youse know, it took a lot for us ta pretend wese didn’t know Davey an’ Sarah. Les an’ Jake yer names are shortened versions of yer full names Lester an’ Jacob. Patrick, youse don’t need a nickname yet.

“Fifth, trust no one except each other. We’ll know a lot of people dere but, dat doesn’t mean youse should trust dem. Youse should only trust people dat call us by our real name an’ dat wese call dem dat back.

“Sixth, keep an eye on all yer belongings. Dat shouldn’t be too hard since wese live with Snitch but even den ‘e still manages ta take something from youse.

“Seventh, do not enter any buildings unless wese tell youse to. Youse never know whether or not a building is a gang hideout or a person’s trap.

“Eighth, always have a weapon. We’ll hand out weapons before wese leave if youse don’t ‘ave one but youse should all ‘ave a switchblade knife. Youse never knows if someone’s gonna pick a fight with youse or try ta kill ya.

“Nineth, keep yer temper. Dat means youse Snoddy. People are just waitin’ fer youse ta get pissed about something small so dey gots an excuse ta kill ya later.

“Finally, since wese in our home youse gonna do what Ise tells ya. Not Spot, Oscar, Davey, or Jack, but me. Youse don’t get ask questions as ta why or ‘bout what Ise tells ya. Ya just gotta do it, ya understand?”

The newsies voiced their agreement before heading upstairs. Mush followed them and brought Buttons down without Race having to tell him to. Then, Race whipped around to face Snitch who grinned sheepishly.

“Do youse remember our rules in Dream or do Ise have ta remind youse?”

“Tell ya if youse get caught tryin’ ta steal. Dey didn’t believe me dough cause Ise lied ‘bout it!”

“Ya still tell me ya idiot! Youse don’t just go on with yer life as if nothin’ happened! Got it? Buttons, does Henry know yer here?”

“No, he told me not ta come get youse an’ Ise knows youse gonna be mad but Ise got a very good reason.” Race nodded at him to go on.

“He’s ignorin’ da fact dat some of us came from bad pasts an’ is yellin’ an’ beatin’ da boys. Told me not ta go get youse cause ‘e could handle Nightmare ‘imself.”

Race groaned and Mush pinched the bridge of his nose. The other newsies rolled their eyes in annoyance. Race then sent them all up to bed, muttering about how he was going to kill Henry when they got back to Dream.


	11. York & Roger

“Wake up boys! Wese don’t got papes ta sell but, wese do got another dimension ta rescue! So, let’s get a move one!” Race yelled the next morning. Race then left to grab switchblades for the newsies that didn’t keep one on them.

Eventually, the newsies trudged downstairs and Kloppman, who had been told what was happening by Race last night, made them breakfast which the boys ate. Race handed out switchblades after he had finished eating before going to the bunkroom to grab some things that he didn’t want the newsies seeing yet.

After everyone had finished eating Race led them to a train station. The newsies followed their second into a room in the back and in the room, there was a door at the end of a hallway.

Upon opening the door, the newsies saw some things that shocked them. Right in front of them was a door going outside and above that door was a strange looking clock. In the middle of the clock, it said Dream and had the day, month, year, and time on it. The clocks around the one in the middle had the same information for places like Nightmare, Reality, Imagination, and Hallucination.

Lining the walls of the room were clocks in different colors and in glass containers different colored lockets. On the right side of the room was a brown desk and behind the desk sat two twin teenage boys in black metal chairs. On the desk was a grey cash register and behind the twins were multiple green filing cabinets.

“Dis is York’s Lockets and Clocks an’ behind dat desk is York an’ ‘is brother Roger. Ise dunno why Roger’s ‘ere dough when York is da one dat owns dis place.” Race explained quietly.

Race led the group towards York and Roger and when they got to the desk Race slammed it which startled the pair. York’s head snapped up from the newspaper that he was looking at and Roger let out a girly shriek.

“Race,” York mumbled as Roger glared at him. Spot then gave Roger a look which caused the boy to pale almost immediately.

“York, Roger. Wese needin’ our Aging Lockets back an’ my friends don’t need any.” Race ordered. York and Roger nodded, and York went over the filing cabinets, opening the drawers and pulling out Aging Lockets. Then, he came back over and handed the lockets to Race who handed them out to the others.

“Roger, ‘ow come youse ain’t at da hideout?” Spot questioned coolly.

“Da gang leaders are ‘avin’ a meetin’ an’ I ain’t wantin’ ta watch Henry yell at everyone fer no good reason.” Roger replied. He met Race’s eyes and Race motioned for Roger and the newsies to follow him.

“Where are wese goin’?” Tumbler asked.

“Ta da Anonymous hideout, wese gotta ‘ave a word wit’ da gang leaders.” Race told him.

“Why’s it so dark outside? Da clock said it was like 7am.” Specs wanted to know.

“It’s always dark ‘ere an’ da only light wese got come from da streetlamps. Dere are a lot of dem.”

The group left York’s shop and came to a busy street with buildings lining the side. In the middle of the street was the statue that Race had mentioned last night. Besides the statue, there were street carts with sellers. Suddenly, there was yelling, and a girl bolted from the jewelry cart with the jeweler chasing after her.

Finally, the group came across a red brick building that seemed to be three floors. There was a red brick wall around the building and a large black metal gate with two boys guarding it.

“Dose two are Sniper from da Untamed an’ Graves from da Anonymous. Ise guessin’ everyone else is inside?” Race glanced at Roger for confirmation and the Brooklyn boy nodded.

“Great let’s go talk ta dem an’ if dey don’t let us in Ise gonna punish Sniper and Spot will punish Graves.” Race determined with a smirk.

The newsies then realized that Race had been acting strange about the lockets and why they said the gang leaders were current was because their second in command was the leader of the Untamed, the most powerful gang in Dream.


End file.
